This invention relates to a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), and more particularly to a ROV having excellent pitching motion characteristics and a high steerability.
In general, a conventional ROV suspended from a ship into water and adapted to make underwater survey and investigation by a remote control operation carried out from the ship is loaded with a TV camera, and operator operates the ROV as the operator monitors an image, which is transmitted from the TV camera, on a video monitor.
However, in such a conventional ROV, the TV camera alone is tilted during an imaging operation. Therefore, when the angle of tilt of the TV camera becomes large, the field of vision of the TV camera departs from the range of the light projected by an underwater light, so that the image on the video monitor becomes vague.
Although it is possible to move the underwater light in accordance with a movement of the TV camera, a mechanism for operatively connecting the underwater light and TV camera together becomes complicated.
A ROV having a TV camera set firmly therein, wherein the pitch angle of the ROV is regulated by moving a weight has also been proposed (Japanese patent application Kokai publication No. 61-36095).
However, the pitch angle of this submarine robot cannot be controlled rapidly.
In order to speedily control the pitch angle of the ROV, it is necessary to move the weight speedily in the longitudinal direction of the ROV. However, when the moving speed of the weight is high, pitching occurs due to a reaction force. Moreover, this ROV requires means for moving the weight in the longitudinal direction of the ROV. This increases the weight of the ROV accordingly, and complicates the construction thereof. Summary of the Invention:
The present invention has been developed in view of such drawbacks encountered in the conventional ROV. An object of the present invention is to provide a ROV weighing not much more than a conventional ROV and having a simple construction, excellent pitching motion characteristics and a high steerability.
The ROV according to the present invention has not less than three thrusters arranged in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle body, and is characterized in that the center of gravity G of vehicle body excluding a pendulum and the center of buoyancy B of the vehicle body including the pendulum are set in agreement with each other, the pendulum being disposed so that it can be turned around a lateral axis of the vehicle body which passes the center of gravity G of the vehicle body.